At 10:56:26 AM on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, Scott wrote:

> Someone mentioned "Bikki" as a Norse name but I do not
> recall seeing it. Is it a diminutive of some name?

It occurs in 'Guðrúnarhvöt', which in Guðni Jónsson's
edition can be found at
<http://www.heimskringla.no/wiki/Gu%C3%B0r%C3%BAnarhv%C3%B6t>,
and in 'Völsunga saga', available as edited by G.J. and
Bjarni Vilhjálmsson at
<http://www.heimskringla.no/wiki/V%C3%B6lsunga_saga>, as the
malicious adviser of Jörmunrekr. The OE <Becca> in
'Widsith' is apparently the same character, and I gather
that there is a corresponding character in 'Þiðreks saga af
Bern' who is named <Sifka>, corresponding to MHG <Sibeche>,
<Sibich>. According to de Vries, <Bikki> is generally
understood to be derived from the German name. The OE name
is also in record as <Bicca>.

In principle <Bikki> could also be an original byname, a
masculine form of <bikkja> 'bitch'; I believe that this
would work for OE as well (masc. *bicca beside fem. <bicce>
'bitch').

Brian